Starting Suddenly: Pôr-se a
To express that someone suddenly or deliberately starts doing something, use the reflexive verb pôr-se followed by the preposition a and an infinitive. It often describes immediate reactions.
Because pôr is highly irregular, here is a quick reminder of its present and preterite (past) forms:
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite (Past) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | ponho-me | pus-me |
| tu | pões-te | puseste-te |
| ele / ela / você | põe-se | pôs-se |
| nós | pomo-nos | pusemo-nos |
| eles / elas / vocês | põem-se | puseram-se |
Notice how pôr-se a sets the scene for unexpected actions:
| If I play a harmless prank, you start crying. | Se eu faço uma brincadeira inofensiva, tu pões-te a chorar. |
| She made a face and the baby started sobbing. | Ela fez uma careta e o bebé pôs-se a soluçar. |
| I don't understand what this nonsense is, but they started jumping. | Eu não percebo o que é esta palhaçada, mas eles puseram-se a saltar. |
Bursting Into: Desatar a
For an uncontrollable, emotional outburst—such as bursting into tears, erupting in laughter, or breaking into a sudden run—use desatar a followed by an infinitive.
While pôr-se a means "to start," desatar a implies a sudden, intense release of energy or emotion. Desatar is a regular -ar verb.
| The joke was hilarious, so they burst out laughing uncontrollably. | A anedota era hilariante, por isso eles desataram a rir descontroladamente. |
| The clowning terrified the boy and he started sobbing. | A palhaçada apavorou o miúdo e ele desatou a soluçar. |
| The harmless dog terrifies the neighbor and she starts running uncontrollably. | O cão inofensivo apavora a vizinha e ela desata a correr descontroladamente. |
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